


Needels and tiretracks

by Hustlehustle



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Angst, Child Abuse, Drugs, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, MomGwen, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Sexual Abuse, be warned, dadvid, this will go down a fucked up hill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-24 16:38:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16178984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hustlehustle/pseuds/Hustlehustle
Summary: Max and his parents are moving to the tiny, middle-of-nowhere hole of a town known as sleepy peak. They might be running from one dark, dirty life to another, but that dosen't mean it can't get better.





	1. on the road

The old beat-up car make a hoarse choking noise, before rasping like a first-time smoker and puffing dangerously. Max was sure that that was it, they's be stranded out there on the old forest road right in the epicentre of nowhere, when the old wheels started turning, tugging the off-white metal box with it. Looking out the window he could see the mustard-coloured roof of the gass station dissapear in the distance, along with the dishevelded sign that had once read "Sleepy peak 300 km," but by now most of the lettering had either been peeled away by teenagers or the mountian weather. The fact that "peak" had been graffitied into "pee" was probably not the weather's doing, though. 

Max ducked when he saw a flash of metallic being hurdeld from the front seat, nearly hitting him. He loosened a headphone to see if his mother was rying to get his attention, but she was engrossed in her phone, tapping away at the screen. He looked over and saw that they'd tossed an empty can and a chip bag. Just trash? He eagerly reached for the can and shook it (empty) and stuck his hand in the bag (just dust). Assholes. He stuck a finger in the back and licked restover seasoning off it, savouring the taste. Slightly vinigar-y, but mainly just salt. 

The boy traced a small, round hole in the window with his pointer, letting it run along the spiderwebs that spread out in the glass from it. Three of them grazed the side of the car, accompanied by bumps in the metall. It happened just last month, his parents were spooked for sure, enough to hightail it out to no-man's-land. They were cowards, Max wasn't scared. Not of anything, ever. "Kevin said he'd meet us behind the pizza place." The woman in the front seat, Max's mother, piped up. "The pizza place?" His father sounded half-annoyed half-nonchalant. "Apperantly there's only the one." Of course. Of course they'd choose the tiniest-goddamn place in the world to move to. Back home there were three places on his street alone. They were great for dumpster-diving. Despite his obvious displeasure with the move, he remained quiet. They'd already had an argument in the carride that day, and Max didn't want to sour the mood more for once. He'd keep his insult-brainstorming to himself for now. 

Leaning back against the white-cracked wall of the resturant, a tall and lanky light-brown-haired man slouched in a rattled hoodie. His mother flung open the car door before his father had the time to stop. "Jesus Chist woman!" And she jumpend out of the car, jogging up to him. "Kevin?" The guy stood straighter and lifted his hand in greeting. "I take it you're not cops." He smirked while looking at the car, that resembeled a used knapkin. Max's dad slowly got out of his seat and joined them. "Where's the den?" He grumbled. Kevin gave him a one-over before vaugley pointing his thumb, "I'll take you." Max peeked at them through the windows, his mother chatted and his father looked either seething or half-asleep. They got into the car and the man-Kevin-hopped into the seat next to him. The boy met his gaze, he looked young and had unshaved stubble all over. His eyes were startled open. "H-hey! Didn't he tell you, no kids?" His dad started the car and his mother looked over her seat. "Don't worry about it Kevin, we'll work it out." She dismissed. "But- but kids attract cops like crazy, y'know!" The woman leaned on the neck of the seat with one hand, the other had strayed somwhere into her hair. "No-one will even notice he's there. It'll be fine. He's not that young, anyway." Kevin still seemed unsure, but decided that this wasn't his argument to have. 

The car pulled up to a huge, white house with tinted windows. As the boy exited the car he grimaced at the pugnency of the place, it smelled like a pipe someone hadn't cleaned out in years. He pulled his hood farther down over his legs and followed his parents and Kevin into the house. They were mostly ignoring him now, talking amongst themselves. They walked the three steps up to the door, which creaked even more painfully than he'd imagined it would, and hustled in. Kevin held the door open, he quickly caught Max's eye when he went through, giving him a small smile. Kevin seemed okay, at least better than their previous guy. He still looked like the human personification of a pair of dusty sneakers hung over a power cord- but that was beside the point. The adults had gone into a room- probably the kitchen- leaving max to stand with his bag and suitcase in the limbo of a new house. 

He let his case down and tugged on his backpack strap. It wasn't heavy, but everything that he cared about enough to worry if someone would steal was in there.His case just held about three identical hoodies and some other cheap clothes- if some druggie wanted that, they might as well just have it.  
He followed into the kitchen. Cracked tiles, off-white everything, stained kitchen island that most likely was used more for powder and grass than actual food- felt homely already. His mother was leaning on the island, while his father sat hunched over in a chair that definetly wouldn't hold for long. Kevin had his hands in his pockets and leand on the fridge, of the three of them, he was the only one who was facing Max. "Hey, I'll show you your floor and we can sort it out later." Kevin noticed him, how considerate.

Max got a small room, probably originally used for an office or something. It had white, cast walls, and Max could guess they where only a thin barrier between him and an ungodly amount of asbestos. It was complete with chipping paint, a thick spread of dust and a single flimsy light. He and his parents got a whole floor to themselves for now, but Kevin'd said they might have to share it eventually. So far, Max hadn't heard a single yell and only a couple cars go by. No police sirens, no screaming, no nothing. It was wierd.  
Then he heard a crash downstairs. Then laughing. Wonderfull, they were getting fucked up, weren't they? He decided it was time to go out, he needed to explore. He quietly stepped down the stairs and went straight for the door, feeling the cool metal of the knob under his hands with accomplishment. He was just about to turn it and head out, but froze right up when he heard a drawn-out "Maaaaaax" slurred in his mother's voice. "Get- get me- ahhhhhaahah, Kevin! No!" She broke out into a fit of laughter and Max used her break in concentration to his full advantage, sneaking out and slamming the door behind him. He jumped over the three steps and landed on the unclipped grass below.  
It was nearly completly dark outside, everyone seemed to have closed up shop, the ony exception came from the house behind him a a few scattered streetlights.


	2. Three's a crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And this is where the local gang is formed

Nikki snatched the flahlight out of the bush with a howl of pure triumph. "Thought you could hide from me, you simple tool?!" She scolded. "There. Much better." She flicked on the light. Not that she needed it for making her way around in the dark (the mere tought offended her!) she used it to wake up Neil. Her plan was to climb up to the window and flash it right in his face. She was genious, she'd admit as much.

Nikki picked up movement down the road. A cat? A bear? Both? Oh no, it was just another kid. She curled her hands around her moth to funnel the sound.  
"Heya I'm Nikki!" The kid almost jumped out of his skin. The girl was faced with a brief flash of fear that he'd been scared off, but he quickly recovered. "Who the fuck are you?" Not bothered by neither the profanity nor the hostility, she presisted. "I just told you, dummy!" He gave her a glare. Nikki gestured at him with her hand. "Aaaaand youuu aaare??" His eyes shrinked to slits. "Max." They both stared at each other. His bright-green eyes were boaring into her, it faintly reminded her of her stare-downs with the local bobcats. Nikki finally decided to open her mouth, but before she could start on her sentence Max shot in. What a power move, she thought. "So, you're, like, from around here? Local, right?" Nikki nodded vigourously. "Neat."

A brief moment was spent, the tension in the air noticably less... tense.

"Well, then." Max broke the silence, and Nikki had to turn her attention away from a bee (that reminded her of a vaccum cleaner because thier buzzing was just so simmilar and-) "What do you do for fun around here?" Max said. Nikki stared at him for just a bit too long, before remembering why she was out there in the first place. "All kinds of stuff!" She hyped, glad at the prospect of finally have someone other than Neil nearby to join her. Not that she didn't like him, even if he had a habit of snapping at her. "I've got big plans for tonight! Come on, let's get Neil!"   
Before the boy had time to say "Who the fuck is Neil?" He was dragged by the hand after Nikki, who led him away along the street.

They eventually slowed down to a normal walking pace, and Nikki decided to start singing various cartoon theme songs with enthusiasm on par with that of an opera sheprano. "Coome oon Maaax, why won't you join mee?" She hollered in the tune of peppa pig.   
"God, what are you, like, three?" He snickered.   
Nikki gave her best pout, and gave him some overly-dramatic puppy eyes. "Don't be mean!" She let out a pretend sob.  
"I'll be mean as I want, bitch." He said, crossing his arms and matching her underlip.   
"Dooont't you want to be teeny tiny bit less mean?" She wiggeled her shoulders at each syllable.   
He studied her, squinting his eyes the same way one might before pushing someone into a pool.  
"The answer begins with fuck and ends with no." 

 

"Hey! This is where Neil lives!" She pointed estaticly. Max looked up at the two-floor tall house, painted in some light shade of a hue made indistinguisable by the night. He saw drawn blinds on a window by the higest floor, where Nikki's finger aimed. Suddenly, something hurled at the window, and the two kids became endrenched in darkness. Nikki stood, hand still outsreched from chucking the flashlight, and southed. "Oi, Neil!"

A light flicked on behind the blinds, which were promptly drawn to reveal a tall boy with tight curls and an angry scowl. His mouth was moving as if he was yelling something, but the glass window contained the sound. It was akin to watching a fish in a bowl, lips moving in vain. The boy seemed to notice, and yanked up the window while shouting into the darkness. "Nikki! Do you have any idea what the time is?" He slammed the window shut whitout getting a response, and when Max shot Nikki a questioning look she simply stared towards the door. 

The door opened whitout a click from the lock, something that was a slight suprise for Max. Neil exited and in the light from a lamp in the wall beside the opening, and the boy noted how his expression changed from annoyance to confusion when he noticed him.   
"Nikki? Who's that?" His voice was suddenly a pitch or two higher.   
Max raised his eyebrows. "I'm right here ya know."   
Neil fiddeled whith his hands, eyeing him suspiciously. Max waited for him to reply, but the kid was evidentley incompitent at navigationg a basic social interaction, so Max decided to mercifully end his suffering by leading on.   
"I'm Max, just moved here."   
Neil finally looked right at him before simply saying. "Oh." 

"So you're Nikki's boyfriend or something?" Max said to stirr up some shit.  
Neil's face flushed brightly in an instant. "What?!" Max smirked at the horror, and Nikki, who had been staring at something in the night, snapped her attention back to them upon hearing her name.   
"No! Our parents just make us hang out!"   
Nikki let out a snort. "Yeah, my mom said you'll be my stepbrother by the end of the year."   
Neil glared at her, and mumbled. "Over my dead body."  
"Sucks they force you to hang out in the middle of the night, too." Max teased.  
Neil turned his glare to him, but realised that he wasn't getting out of that one, instead intensifyng the absolute distaste in his expression.   
"It's okay Neil," Nikki added, "I know you love me." She patted herself on the chest to reiterate the point, before grinning videly.   
"And you know what I love? Legally questionable adventure, that's what!" And the teal-haired girl exitidley told the boys about how she'd found her way into an old building, that was, like, definetly haunted. Now, in the city were max was from, abandoned buildings most often meant squatters. That being said, he could humour Nikki's elaborate ideal of ghosts. It certanly sounded entertaining, at least.


End file.
